First car...

[bleacho]

1971 mercury capri!!! labelled "the sexy European"

my parents bought it for me in 1976. this was the capri that was made in germany imported for mercury.. wow it was a great car-- lots of problems as i recall, but at 16 years old. nothing matters... fire engine red... ill never forget it..

 

[cfz2882]

german ford v6...

in high school auto mechanics in the mid-'80s,was always getting in capris
and mustang 2s with the german v6s that had quit and would not start-
problem was bad timing gears-cam gear had iron center section with plastic
teeth molded on-plastic outer rim with the teeth would shrink a little as
the plastic aged,would develop cracks,and a section would come off-stopping
the cam and bringing the engine to a stop....I always wondered how many
decent cars went to the junkyard because of this condition...

 

[rp2813]

Oh yeah, those early Capris had that weird snake light thing, I guess for reading maps.

 

289's are great engines, and as stated above, parts are easily found.  A Fairlane with a 289 might not be quite as quick off the mark as a Mustang with that same engine, but it would move out OK and cruise at 90 without any problem.

 

I don't know that I'd fork over $6K for a Fairlane, but you couldn't buy that same car new today for that amount, that's for sure.

 

 

[kevin313]

1979 Dodge Omni

This was one of the first "econo-boxes" of the era. It had a four-speed manual transmission, power steering and an AM/FM radio. Even then, the car got about 42 miles to the gallon. It had a 2 litre engine and was front wheel drive. It was a fun car to drive and I had it for a couple of years and traded it in for my first brand-new car: a 1983 Dodge Aires K-Car!!

 

[polkanut]

Kevin,

I had a '79 Plymouth Horizon, and mine was a huge POS.  In fact, it should have been painted yellow for the lemon it was, instead of orange.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

My fist car was a 1993 Volkswagen Fox. I named him Harvey. Good first car. Super BOL; no power windows, locks, steering, brakes... but it had A/C, and an aux input for my Sony 'Discman' portable CD player (yes, people used to carry portable CD players around).

Here he is on trade-in day...

 

[hooverwheelaway]

A shot of the expansive interior... lol.  One of my favorite things was the huge analog clock in the instrument panel.  Who needs a tachometer when you always know what time it is? 

 

[rp2813]

Speaking of Foxes

I may be a wild and crazy guy, but not like that . . .

 

It wasn't my first car, but a quick replacement for a totaled car.

 

A beige 1978 Audi Fox, which didn't look a whole lot different from the much later VW Fox.  It was essentially a VW.  Purchased in October 1989 for $1,100.  I bought the car with 119K miles on it and it was tight as a drum, never a rattle inside or from underneath, just an incredibly solid car with standard transmission and the fuel-injected 4-cylinder and it could really move.   Clean, clean, clean.  Never burned a drop of oil.  It was supposed to be a temporary car but I ended up keeping it for a few years, then passed it along to my partner's daughter when she began drving.  She didn't realize what she had, started calling it her "hoopdie" and eventually bought herself a brand new Ford Aspire.  She sold the Fox to a friend. 

 

One day several months later my partner and I were driving back home from Gilroy and I spotted a familiar looking beige car in the median of the freeway.  Sure enough, the license plate confirmed it, that was my old Fox.  I do hope it was only out of gas or something.  It didn't look abandoned, but the sight still made me sad.  That was one of the best cars I ever owned.  And my partner's daughter, now in her 30's, has recognized the error of her ways from back then.

 

 

[whirlcool]

I almost had a 72' Capri. I ordered it from the dealer Brown with a tan interior.  I gave them my deposit and 4 months went by and the car never arrived. Eventually the dealer said I could choose one from his stock or cancel the order. So I canceled the order.

 

When I was in between cars one time a friend let me use his Dodge Omni.  It was a fun car to drive.  I thought it handled great and ran fine.  A friend of mine at the time was a mechanic at the local Dodge dealer. He said the early models came with VW engines in them and they were the worst cars Chrysler ever sold (Omni/Horizon).  He said not only were they unreliable, but they were difficult to work on. From what I observed from different owners that had these it seemed that you either got a good one or a bad one. If you had a good one they were reliable, if you had a bad one, you'd be in the shop quite often with it.

 

But then again, we could look at the Chevy Vega.  Those didn't last too long, did they?

 

[a440]

Memories

My first car was a graduation gift in 1984 from High School.
1983 Audi 5000 S. Fantastic car! Never had any issues what so ever. Great on gas, comfortable and safe. I planned to keep this car forever as a "weekend" car.
Sadly in 2003, at the age of 20 years old it was totaled when a drunk driver hit me head on! I had just left from home to go and visit friends. (about 2 miles from home) Heidi (her name) did what she was designed to do and I was able to walk away without a scratch.
Brent

 

[a440]

The Wreck...

Heidi was 58,000 miles young. I was determined to keep the mileage low for all of her life. I guess I succeeded....
All of my cars have always been Audi's and VW's. Great safe cars. Have had several wrecks over the years (none my fault) and I always always walked away without any injuries.
Brent

 

[rp2813]

'83 5000

The last model year before the major makeover.  Too bad about the drunk.

 

We had an '84 wagon.  It got totaled from the other direction.  Hit so hard the roof buckled.  The guy wasn't drunk, just not paying attention, and this was before cell phones and texting.

 

Replaced it with an '85 wagon and put over 160K on that before trading it in.

 

Currently driving a 2005 AllRoad.  Great car, but a serious gas hog.  We are considering unloading it for something more fuel efficient.  My partner had to have it, and traded in the '97 Passat, which was paid for, had a new clutch and some front end work, 140K miles and was driving and handling like a dream.  I really wish he hadn't done that.

 

[a440]

Hi Ralph,
My mom had a 84' redesigned 5000s. She traded a 1979 5000s for it.
I wanted a 83' because I loved the style.
I love the AllRoad! Any quattro loves gas! I hear the Diesels are very good on gas.
Brent

 

[kenwashesmonday]

Got my first car, a 1968 Rambler American in 1979 for $200. It had 68,000 miles, I ran it to 240,000.

Ken D.

 

[bugsyjones]

Way back in the year 2000, I got my first car.

A 1989 Jeep Wagoneer Limited.

Essentially a 4x4 Cherokee with an upgraded interior and woodgrain trim.

Burgundy paint with burgundy interior. Seats were half leather half cloth. With the 'LIMITED' script stitched into the backrests. Leather-wrapped steering wheel with NO airbags. With all it's 'upgraded' trim, it didn't even have any cup holders and a Pioneer radio with no cassette player (just radio). I fixed that later.

I LOVE LOVE LOVED this car. I think it's an attachment to our first cars.

It wasn't without it's faults though, it's 4.0 Liter In-line 6 sucked up gas like no other. The catalytic converter rattled (I later replaced the holey muffler), the clear coat was peeling off in places, and it had a broken transmission mount.

It later developed a knock and I sold it to be replaced by a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero. I'd like to have another Wagoneer Limited. I currently have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Not my car, but a similar Wagoneer Limited.

~Tim

 

[twintubdexter]

Boulevard Barge or Land Yacht...

oh how I loved my first car, a 1962 Buick Wildcat in Fawn Beige Metallic with a white roof...I paid $795, borrowed half from my dad, then later he said I didn't have to pay him back, I had great parents...the Wildcat was a deluxe ride with twin-turbine Dynaflow and a Wildcat 445 engine...the speedometer needle really moved across that dash...unfortunately the gas guage needle moved with equal speed towards "E"...so many cool memories of cruising Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose...love reading about everyone's fun cars

photo is exact same car 4 sale on eBay

 

[112561]

Beach Avenue, River Park

The Buick Man, had a yard full of early '50s through early '60s Buicks in front of and next to his late '50s house. I never met him, but he had at least one 1962 Buick Electra 225 in the yard. After code enforcement and heirs to the estate, hard to say where they went. I had a scale model of the 62 Electra, and wish I still did. I love the '61 through '65s of all the Buicks the most. I love the rear shot of your Wildcat.

 

[norgeway]

69 Bel Air Chevrolet...

I HATED it, had a few more GM products then I got a 68 Fury 3 Plymouth , I drove Chrysler and Fords mostly from then on, The very thing I love about Chrysler products..is what most people dont like, the power steering, and the brakes, you can turn the wheel with one finger sitting still and stop it with the tip of your toe, most people who are used to these miserable vehicles now, would never adjust to driving full time power steering, but once you are used to it, anything else is like a tractor.

 

[iheartmaytag]

My first car was the biggest mistake GM ever made--The Vega. The car got excellent mileage, since it was behind a tow truck most of the time. I traded it on a Mercury Monteray 2 dr 400CID, white leather. I loved that car. Had to get rid of it after a flood that caused water up over the seats. (White leather+flood water=Not pretty)

After that I got the second worst mistake GM ever made--Monte Carlo. Learned my lesson and never bought another GM car. Went to Chrysler, and bought a Dodge Shadow which I drove for 10 years and 106,000 miles. Then bought my first Grand Chrerokee which by the way died in a head on collision with a drunk seven years ago today with only 65,000miles on it. I now am driving it's replacement a 2004 Grand Cherokee with 33,000 on it.

Here is what my 1998 GC looked like after the drunk in the F-150 got through with it.

 

[westie2]

My first car was a 1965 Oldmobile 98 LS I got in 1966 that was my grandmothers car. She died in Marck on '66 and my folks gave it to me with only 2500 miles on it. Used this car until August 1969 when traded it for a new VW. Loved the ride but we were drive 180 miles a day going to college. The VW sure saved us gas money.

The picture is one I found. Mune was the Gold with the Black padded top.

 

[spankomatic]

Iheartmaytag<span style="background-color: #ffffff;">  I can relate to the Vega. Mine always ran, but was always broken. This made it one of the most frustrating cars I have ever owned. The car would go but there was always a muffler falling off or a wheel that would wobble. I can go on and on....</span>

<span style="background-color: #ffffff;"> </span>

Westie2<span style="background-color: #ffffff;">  That photo of the 65 Olds is awesom!  What a boat....</span>

<span style="background-color: #ffffff;"> </span>

<span style="background-color: #ffffff;">Jim</span>

 

[whirlcool]

Most Vegas had engines that melted.  Great concept of a car, horribly executed. It could have been so much more!

 

A friend of mine had a 70' Monte Carlo, midnight blue with a navy blue interior. One of the most beautiful and classiest cars out there.  I don't think that GM could make a decent car after 1976. Maybe Buick and Cadillacs after then were OK, but the styling went to the crapper.

 

And let's not forget the GM X-Cars like the Citation and all.  Those were also some of the worst cars made!

 

Link: The Chevy Vega, the car that nearly destroyed GM

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/vintage-speed/how-the-chevy-vega-almost-destroyed-gm

 

[norgeway]

65 Olds

I had one of these too, it would fly!!! and not too terrible on gas, about 17 or 18 on a long trip.

 

[philcobendixduo]

1974 Honda Civic

This was my first car - got in Summer before my Senior year of high school.
$2800 out the door.
I added the stripes and wheels to "spiff it up".
At this time in California, Hondas were so rare than when you saw another Civic driver, you honked and waved!
I drove it for 6 years and 60,000 miles before moving on to a 1980 Accord.

 

[ronhic]

I'm not a fan...

...generally of American cars, but that '65 Oldsmobile is beautiful....

 

[akronman]

1969 Ford Galaxie 500

This picture is NOT my car. Mine was a rustbucket I bought about a week after high school graduation, summer of 77, and it ran almost a year and I was very very proud of that $300 car, so important at the time.
The radio was left of the driver, my passenger couldn't switch the stations---and only AM radio, of course.

 

[akronman]

1969 chevy Bel Air

that Ford above got replaced with a 1969 Chevrolet Bel Air 4door, I drove it from 97,000 to 164,000, and learned everything about the 350 engine. It had the old Powerglide transmission, 2 speed automatic, and when it had a fresh tune-up and oil change, I'd drop down to 15 miles or so on the freeway then step on the gas, to the floor, and it held first gear to 52 miles per hour!
It was one of my all-time favorite cars, fond memories.